Numerical simulation and experiment of plasma flow in the electrothermal launcher SIRENS

An electrothermal plasma source (ET) may be used as a launcher by itself, or as a preinjector for electromagnetic launchers (railguns) or electrothermal-chemical (ETC) launchers. The characteristics of the injected plasma may affect the performance of the plasma armature (EMs) or the combustion process (ETCs). A 1-D, time-dependent fluid dynamics code, ODIN, has been developed to model the plasma formation and flow in the source and the barrel of the ET launcher SIRENS. The code models the energy transport, particle transport, plasma resistivity, plasma viscosity, and the equation-of-state. The measured mass ion of the ablating liner in the source section is in good agreement with predicted by the code. Comparisons between the measured and predicted pressures inside the barrel are in good agreement.<>